Score indicator



oct. so, 1945 H. E. HQFFMAN SCORE INDICATOR Filed Feb. 28, 1944 2 Sheetsheet l @CL 30, 1945 H. E. HOFFMAN 2,387,847

SCORE INDICATOR Filed Feb. 28, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 wenn@ HH! Il Il IHII 1'11 rentar Patented Oct. 3 0,I 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SCORE INDICATOR Harry E. Hoffman, Peoria, Ill. Application February 28, 1944, Serial No. 524,255

1 Claim.

This device relates to a registering apparatus and particularly to a score indicator. Its principal object is to provide an accurate, simple and compact device, one comparatively cheap to manufacture and which may be very easily installed in the playroom or wherever desirable for its use. I

Another object is to provide a score indicator which may be operated with a minimum of inconvenience to the contestants.

These and other objects will be m'ade clear by a reading of the specication, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates the position of the indicator with reference to the playing table.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a front elevation with the front cover plate removed, taken on the line 4-4 o! Figure 2, and looking in the direction in which the arrows point, and

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral I indicates a play table, here illustrated as a table tennis or Ding-pong table. The indicator may be used in connection with various types of games such as billiards, pool, etc. The indicator may be placed in any convenient location such as being fastened to a wall beside the table. As shown here, the indicator is fastened to the wall preferably near the ceiling so that it will not cause interference and may be easily viewed by the contestants. The score may be observed through the openings 3. Leading from the indicator are the cords 4 and 4a. Obviously, these cords may be extended to any desired point. The pulleys 5, 5a, 3 and 6a guide and permi*J of easy manipulation of the cords. The numerals I and 'la indicate handles for the cords 4 and 4a.

Referring to Figure 2 there is a back plate II and a front plate I2 which houses a toothed disk I3 at one side of the indicator and :a similar toothed disk I4 at the opposite side thereof, Returning to Figure 2 there is a pawl element I5 in operative engagement with the disk. It might be stated, at this point, that in view of the fact both of the disk assemblies operates in an identical manner, only one assembly will be described. The only difference in the assemblies is that the disks will rotate in opposite directions. The pawl I3 is preferably made of fiat metal, in order to snugly iit into the teeth I6, as clearly shown at Il, Figure 4, this snug tit being provided by the offset portion I8. At the outer end of the oiiset is located a stop pin I9, which is held between the cover plates, this pin will stop the retractive movement of the pawl, which movement is provided by tension of the spring 20, the spring being connected to the lower end of the pawl, as indicated at 2l. The lower end of the spring is securely fastened between the plates II and I2, in any convenient manner, as indicated by the numeral 22. Located near the upper end of the pawl, are two guide pins 23 and 24, arranged so that they will prevent undue strain on this portion of the pawl.

Cord 4 may be connected with the pawl in any conventional manner, such as with the S -hook 25.

Positioned between the two disks is the ratchet element 28, fixed by means of the supporting pin 29, which extends through an upward extension 30 of the ratchet 28, the extension 30 being integral with the ratchet. Ratchet 28 is preferably made of ordinary spring material and normally has its extremities 3| and 32 positioned in a tooth of each of the disks, as indicated by the numerals 33 and 34.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1 and illustrates the means whereby but one numeral will be visible at a time, the dimension of the opening 35 being such that the visibility of the numerals will not overlap.

The operation of the device is, briefly, 'as follows. The position of the elements, shown in Figure 4, is when they' are at rest andready to be tripped. When a contestant pulls a handle 1 the pawl I5 will be raised, the offset I8 acting against a tooth I8 will rotate the disk I3 on its pivot I3a. The distance between the pins i9 and 24, the latter acting as a stop for the offset I8 in its upward movement, is such that the disk will be rotated the length of one tooth. During this movement the end 3l of the ratchet 28 will ratchet over the tooth 36 and will take a position on the following tooth, thereby preventing free movement of the disk, the resiliency of the ratchet 28 should be such that undue pressure will not be necessarily applied to the handle 1. Action of the spring 20 will return the pawl I5 to its original position on the following tooth.

It is believed to be evident that while the invention requires a mini-mum of parts its action is nevertheless very deiinite.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a casing, a pair of rotatably mounted ratchet discs in said casing, said discs being toothed about their entire periphery, a. ilat spring positioned between said discs, the ends of the springs engaging the teeth of opposite discs, a pawl positioned adjacent each of said discs, said pawls being on opposite sides of their respective discs, and each comprising an elongated member having two substantially right angled bends therein to form a shoulder, the inner side of said shoulderbeing adapted to engage the teeth of an associated ratchet disc, means secured to one extremity of each of said elongated members to move the same to cause said shoulder to rotate its associated ratchet disc, stop means limiting the forward movement of said pawl to a distance slightly in excess of the length of a tooth, said means comprising a, pair of spaced pins secured in said casing on opposite sides of each pawl, the spacing being less than in the extent of said shoulder, resilient means adapted to retract said pawl, and means limiting the distance to which said resilient means may retract said pawl, said last-mentioned means comprising a pin in said casing engageable by the surface of said shoulder opposite the tooth engaging surface thereof.

HARRY E. HOFFMAN. 

